After years of staying on the sidelines, former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean has stepped back into the political arena — and his message couldn’t be clearer: New Jersey needs a change, and it needs it badly.
Kean, one of the most respected Republican leaders in Garden State history, officially endorsed Jack Ciattarelli for governor on Monday, just one day before voters head to the polls. And let’s be honest — when a man with Kean’s reputation for integrity and bipartisan respect decides to speak up, people listen.
In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Kean delivered a calm but powerful message that cuts straight through the noise: “I haven't been involved in partisan politics for a number of years, but this year is different. New Jersey needs a change and needs a change badly. Jack Ciattarelli is that change.”
Translation: the Murphy–Sherrill era of high taxes, bloated bureaucracy, and political double-talk has worn out its welcome.
Kean, who governed New Jersey from 1982 to 1990, was everything Democrats claim to be but never quite deliver — a compassionate, competent leader who actually got things done. He modernized education, expanded environmental protections, and led the state with the kind of decency and steadiness that seems almost extinct in today’s politics. It’s no wonder he won reelection in 1985 with nearly 70% of the vote — one of the widest margins in New Jersey’s history.
And his endorsement isn’t just symbolic. It’s a passing of the torch. “I’ve known Jack for 25 years,” Kean said. “He’s compassionate, he’s decent, he works hard, and he’d be a great governor for New Jersey.”
Ciattarelli, in turn, honored the moment with the humility and determination of a man ready to lead. “Governor Kean set the standard for effective leadership,” he said. “Now it’s our turn to bring that kind of government back — real change, real results, and a brighter future for New Jersey.”
That’s not just a campaign slogan. It’s a rallying cry for a state that’s seen its economy stagnate under endless Democratic rule and its taxpayers squeezed dry by the same tired policies that never seem to work — unless, of course, you’re part of the political elite.
And let’s not forget, Kean isn’t some partisan firebrand. This is the man who chaired the 9/11 Commission, appointed by President George W. Bush, where his even-handed leadership earned him bipartisan respect nationwide. When someone like that breaks his silence to back a candidate, you know it’s serious.
With the latest polls showing Ciattarelli tightening the gap with Democrat Mikie Sherrill, this endorsement could be the final push that tips the scales.
New Jersey voters have a choice: more of the same failed status quo, or a return to the kind of steady, principled leadership that made the state “perfect together” once before.
Thomas Kean helped build a New Jersey worth believing in — and now he’s putting his trust in Jack Ciattarelli to rebuild it. For voters tired of hollow promises and political theater, that may be exactly the kind of hope they’ve been waiting for.
